8. Scotland

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For the 16 million people who travel to Scotland every year, they have the pleasure of meeting a nation of well-educated locals who are rich with culture and know how to have fun. The chance to play golf at St. Andrews or some cricket in Edinburgh is also an opportunity to enjoy the company of the friendly people who live there. The festive Scottish spirit is also apparent in the regular arts and musical events, like the annual Highland Festival.

Though Scotland is ripe with culture and most of the locals welcome visitors, the ones who don't can lessen the experience. Scotland's violent-crime rates are higher than in the U.S., but most of these cases are confined to inner-city areas, which aren't exactly tourist havens. This setback doesn't take away from Scotland's friendly heart, but it's a concern that prevents us from giving it a higher ranking against the other friendly countries.